


love can wait (time will stand still for us)

by orphan_account



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Also they're adults in this I promise Chad isn't planning a wedding at 16 years old, Fluff, M/M, Sappy 1 AM thoughts on love and marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-17 05:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11844978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The facts are this - Chad Charming is in love with Carlos de Vil. Chad Charming wants to marry Carlos de Vil. Chad Charming has been meticulously planning the proposal since that night on the couch.





	1. reflections of the not yet engaged man

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT 9/23/2018: I hate this! I don't like it! But I don't like deleting my stories because I would always get super bummed out when stories I read were deleted by their authors so here it is, orphaned! Enjoy uwu.

Chad remembers the exact moment he realized he wanted to marry Carlos.

It was late, probably early morning - and normally Chad wouldn't be up this late, he has a strict sleep schedule, but Carlos wanted to binge some nerd show, and for Carlos...well. Sleep could wait. So they had positioned themselves on the couch, blankets strategically placed for maximum warmth, and powered through.

It's afterwards that it happens. Chad remembers the gentle lull of noises outside, remembers the gentle glow of the television as it lingered on a paused screen, remembers Dude, lying on top of the blankets, snoring on Carlos' lap. Carlos had dozed off, too, leaning on Chad's chest, hands resting on Dude. Chad didn't make any move to turn off the TV, not at risk of disturbing Carlos - he had sat there, listening to his boyfriend's steady breaths, looking at the freckles highlighted by the soft light, relishing in the calm of the moment. He'd wanted to stay there forever, but Carlos woke up, sleepily shifting off of Chad and taking his body warmth with him.

"Did I miss the finale?" Carlos yawned, rubbing his eyes, careful not to disturb Dude.

"We can watch it again later." Chad assured, knowing he'd probably rewatch that stupid show 20 times over if Carlos wanted to, and he wouldn't even mind. Carlos hummed and leaned back onto Chad, a comfortable silence falling over the room. Carlos was beautiful, hair messy from sleep, lips slightly parted, clenching at the blanket. He was normally such a force of energy, which Chad adored, but it was nice to see him calm, too. It made Chad feel special, feel like Carlos trusted him enough to let his guard down, to rest.

"Babe, what are you thinking about? Your heart is going, like, a mile a minute." Carlos laughed.

"You." Chad replied, instantly. Carlos shifted against him, but didn't move, and Chad would've sworn he was blushing.

"You fucking sap." Carlos murmured. "Calm down for a second, honestly."

"Nah." Chad said, and Carlos groaned and moved his head onto Chad's lap, looking into his eyes. Carlos' eyes were stunning - Chad had never quite understood why the eyes were the windows to the soul, but he was always amazed at how deep Carlos' eyes seemed to go, how vibrant and warm the brown seemed.

He wanted this. God, he wanted this forever, wanted _them_ forever.

"I'm going back to sleep." Carlos said, so quietly he might've not said it at all. Chad nodded, and reached to run his fingers through Carlos' hair. Carlos let him, drifting off to sleep so quickly that Chad was left alone with his thoughts again.

* * *

He doesn't mention it later, obviously, because Carlos gets skittish about long term plans, like he doesn't expect them to last the week. It used to offend Chad, but he understands that it's just how Carlos is - confident in himself, but still worried that Chad might move on, worried that Chad is projecting a level of intensity to them that isn't actually there. So Chad is quiet, because the last thing he wants is to scare Carlos off.

He still thinks about it. Like, all the time. He plans the proposal a million times over; plans doing it in front of friends, in front of strangers, alone in the privacy of their house, sometimes entertaining the possibility that Carlos beats him to it. He thinks about what planning the wedding would be like - they'd probably fight about colors and guests and location, but Carlos would probably secretly want something romantic and fairytale, and Chad knows that he would wear whatever mess Carlos wanted him to wear. He thinks about them being domestic, about fighting over takeout, about choosing curtains and holding hands at the grocery store. He thinks about wedding bands, thinks about wearing his declaration of love on his hand and pinning his heart to his sleeve.

Carlos catches him smiling at random moments, sometimes. "What's got you so happy?" He'll joke, rolling his eyes.

"Your freckles are like constellations." Chad might respond, watching as Carlos' skin reddens, accentuating the freckles further, and maybe Carlos throws something nonlethal at him, for dramatic effect.

Would it be Carlos Charming, or Chad de Vil? Chad feels like a schoolgirl with a crush, doodling hearts in his notebook during recess, but he could care less about how pathetic it might seem. His heart thumps against his chest when he looks at Carlos, and it doesn't hurt, but reminds him that he knows what he wants, and that there's plenty of time to get it.


	2. the proposal

The facts are this - Chad Charming is in love with Carlos de Vil. Chad Charming wants to marry Carlos de Vil. Chad Charming has been meticulously planning the proposal since that night on the couch.

The facts are this - despite the length of their relationship, the number of times Carlos has done something for Chad because he loves him and vice versa, the abundance of whispered confessions and subtle declarations of love, Chad is still afraid Carlos might say no.

* * *

3 months into planning the proposal Chad buys the engagement ring after an hour of deliberation, and it scares the shit out of him. Everything up until now has been a concept, and his romantic daydreams of engagement have always featured a him who isn’t afraid to ask Carlos and a Carlos who isn’t afraid to say yes. The physical existence of the ring grounds this fantasy into a reality that very well could go fantastically right or terribly wrong.

He really hopes it's the former. Until then, he continues about his life, the only difference being the new weight of the ring in his pocket.

* * *

The facts are this - according to tradition, Chad is supposed to ask Carlos’ parents about taking Carlos’ hands in marriage. But Cruella is on the Isle and Carlos’ dad is a sore subject, and both are virtually ghosts in Carlos’ life. But tradition, however stupid, is important to Chad, and he wants to show other people that this is _serious_ for him.

So he finds an alternative.

The facts are this - Chad nervously goes through the process of asking Carlos’ 3 closest friends if they’re down with him marrying Carlos. And it’s terrifying. Evie says that it’s sweet, and then she pleasantly threatens to rip him limb from limb if he doesn’t treat Carlos as well as he should. Jay calls him a dork, and casually mentions how he always outranked Chad in physical ability when they played tourney. The intent is clear. Mal is eerily silent, stone-faced, and still, but she gives a slow nod and reminds him that she is one of the most magically powerful people in Auradon.

He’s glad for it. Carlos deserves friends as incredible as them.

* * *

Chad has been carrying the ring for a while now, for far too long considering how it seems like ages since he bought it. But he’s always figured that he would know the right moment, the time that would be the most special or heartfelt or touching or whatever. If he chooses the perfect time, Carlos has to say yes, right?

It’s literally so dumb, because the setting isn’t going to affect Carlos’ answer, Chad knows that, but the concept of a perfect engagement is a security blanket that he isn’t willing to let go of. So he stays quiet and thinks about whether reserving an entire restaurant would be overkill.

* * *

The facts are this - Chad wakes up early one morning, and he looks at his boyfriend, still sleeping next to him. He feels his heart shiver, totally undone, it’s so _peaceful_ , and Chad wants this guaranteed in this life, he cannot possibly hold this love inside of him any longer.

So he gets up, as gently as he can, and decides to make his own moment.

When Carlos comes downstairs about half an hour later, he is greeted with what probably appears as incredibly cheesy - chocolate chip pancakes on their _good_ plates, the china ones, placed in front of a lit candle despite the kitchen being brightly lit. Chad turns around from where he’s standing at the stove, making more, and flushes.

“I’m not done yet,” he nervously says, quickly turning off the stove. “Normally you sleep in later.”

Carlos grins, leaning against the doorway. “Ooh, fancy. What’s the occasion?” His smile fades at the overly serious expression on Chad’s face. “Did something happen? Is everything, like, good?”

Oh, god. He has to do this - he _wants_ to do this, it’s just so scary. He takes a deep breath and smiles. “Everything is great, actually,” he confirms, reaching for the box on the table. Carlos notices, and tenses up. Maybe that’s a good sign? He hopes it’s a good sign. “I was just wondering, if, uh…fuck, I should probably be closer for this. Hold on.” He walks over to right in front of Carlos, and kneels. Carlos’ hands instantly fly over his mouth, his eyes shining in disbelief. “You have been...absolutely incredible for these past few years, and I consider myself lucky that you even let me date you for that long. I can’t picture any sort of future _without_ you, Carlos, and it sort of scares me, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. So...will you marry me?”

The facts are this - Carlos has never been the greatest at showing romantic affection, something that remains from years of his mom conditioning him not to. But Carlos is still standing in the doorway, still breathing into his hands, and he’s definitely crying, silent tears streaming down his face. Chad feels his heart seize up in his chest, his hands shaking unsteadily, still holding out the ring. Carlos nods, slowly, then nods again and again, then drops down to the floor and grabs Chad and pulls him into a kiss. It’s not that good of a kiss, because now both of them are crying, but it’s so emotionally fulfilling that Chad could probably live the rest of his life like this, melting into Carlos forever. They break apart and Carlos laughs and lets Chad slide the ring on his finger and stares at it adoringly, like he can’t believe any of this is happening. Chad stares at Carlos and wills himself to burn this moment into his brain forever, to remember how excited Carlos is and how he feels like his heart is about to beat out of his chest and how neither of them are even properly dressed yet and how this is the furthest thing from any of the proposals Chad had envisioned but how it’s perfect anyway, perfect because Carlos reacted like _that_ , perfect because Carlos said _yes_ , perfect because Chad now knows he could’ve done this anywhere and Carlos would have done the same thing. It’s intoxicating, and Chad is drunk on relief and happiness and satisfaction.

“I can’t believe this.” Carlos says, face red. “I thought you had been acting weird, but I figured I was probably...projecting, or something, I don’t know.”

Chad laughs. “I’ve been carrying that around for months,” he admits. “This has been stressing me out a lot. If I’ve been weird, like, at all, it was almost definitely because of this.”

“Why did you wait so long?” Carlos asks, reaching to rub some tears off of Chad’s face.

“Uh, I was worried you wouldn’t say yes.” Chad mumbles. Carlos rolls his eyes.

“That’s dumb,” he says, softly. “I don’t think there’s anything that would’ve made me say no.”

At these words, Chad looks at his _fiancé_ and beams, tearing up again, pulling Carlos into a hug. And so they stay, awkwardly sitting on the kitchen floor, completely and helplessly in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god this chapter wasnt even suppsoed to exist but i rly wanted to write it and then it took me 5 hours bc i love my boys so much,.,.,,like i would write one sentence and have to stop this is not a joke
> 
> also - rating changed to teen bc um swear words


	3. reflections on engagement

Carlos can't stop staring at the ring. It's on the back of his mind at all times, and if he loses his focus for even the slightest second he finds himself looking at it again. It's incredible, it doesn't seem real, it's eerily like something 12 year old him would've dreamed about when he was still wishing he was safe from the Isle. The ring itself is simple, but tasteful - a gold band with a small diamond that absolutely _screams_ "we have money but it's none of your business". He loves it. It's perfect.

Not that it's just the ring that Carlos adores, of course. It's Chad, of _course_ it's Chad, who flirted with every girl in his line of vision when they were back in high school, and who could easily have almost anyone he wanted, but stuck with Carlos. Chad, who's an asshole more often then not, but also romantic and charming and dedicated when he cares, who gets nervous about Carlos and who treats Carlos like Carlos is the best thing to ever happen to him. Carlos can barely comprehend that they're still dating, that they ever dated in the first place, that they're going to get married and that Chad _wants_ that. Everything about the proposal was so cheesy and so genuine and so _Chad_ , and he's glad that it happened that way instead of in public or something. He wants to keep that moment forever, to cherish it as theirs and safeguard it from the world.

But Carlos doesn't know how to fawn over Chad, how to voice or even write these thoughts without being overcome by embarrassment, so he fawns over the ring instead. He shows it to everyone he even distantly knows, posts it a million times on his social media, and Chad makes fun of him for liking it so much, but Carlos thinks he understands.

* * *

Sometimes it scares him. Sometimes the thought of something as real as a husband tethering him to Auradon makes Carlos fidgety and sweaty, makes him feel like he has to run back to the Isle like Mal did all those years ago, because he's not sure that he earned this, that he deserves this.

Which is so dumb, it's _so_ dumb, Carlos has earned good things a million times over, has suffered for too long to deny himself happiness now. And he knows that, he really does, but sometimes he just needs someone to remind him, is all.

Sometimes, it goes like this: Chad notices that Carlos is feeling off and holds his hand, unprompted, and Carlos stares at their hands and stares at their rings and is somehow both more and less worried.

Sometimes, it goes like this: Carlos calls Evie or Jay or Mal and they all tell him variants on a theme, that he deserves this and he shouldn't ever feel otherwise, usually accompanied by an offer to hang out or gossip about a common enemy.

Sometimes, it goes like this: Carlos doesn't say anything about it, and it ebbs away at him for days until Chad says something sappy before they go to bed and Carlos breaks down because _how can he realistically be valued that much? How can this be genuine?_ Which leads to hours of whispered insecurities in the still of night, where Chad can't see the tears on Carlos' face but he can feel them, where Chad tries his best to reassure Carlos that they have all the time in the world and that Chad will be with him for all of it. And it's not Chad's words that do it, but the desperation and earnestly in Chad's voice. Chad is really good at faking a smile and charming his way into and out of things, and Carlos knows that if Chad was lying to him he would be using one or both of those skills. Carlos lies there and listens to the love in Chad's voice and his doubt is chiseled away into a pebble that will, in time, grow again - but only to meet the same fate as the former boulder it hails from.

* * *

Carlos does it on purpose, though he'll swear it was an accident later. Chad is shopping online for a new mattress, even though Carlos thinks the one they have is fine - but Carlos was raised on the Isle and Chad was raised in a castle, so they're really the two extremes of mattress experience, and if Chad is going to spoil him, Carlos is going to let that happen. Chad makes a joke about the mattress having to hold up during their wild, rambunctious sex, and Carlos rolls his eyes and mockingly says "Why, _Mr. De Vil!_ " before he can think about the implications of that, and Chad flushes and covers his face like he wasn't making a sex joke seconds earlier.

Carlos doesn't know if he's crossed a line, but then Chad, still blushing, mumbles that he can't wait until that's official. Carlos feels a grin spread across his face, and he calls Chad by his (their!) last name as frequently as he can after that.

* * *

 The wedding is distant, that's for sure - Chad wants a spring wedding and Carlos wants a winter one, and Carlos knows that the guest list alone will take months to draft, what with the people Chad is obligated to invite and the people Carlos actually wants there. And that's without even getting into the color schemes and the outfits and the cake.

But Carlos is fine with that. There's pleasure in the anticipation, in the ample amount of time he has to prepare himself, in the "actually, I'm engaged" he gets to say when he's hit on, in the way his heart still swells when he looks at the ring that serves as a reminder of his love and his future.

Carlos knows, logically, that marriage will not serve as a stronghold for all his problems. It's not a forever, even if Chad insists otherwise. Carlos doesn't believe in "happily ever after", because things can still happen to them, feelings can still change. But the ring is a promise that they can work through any troubles so long as they try, and damnit, Carlos will try, and he's honored to know that Chad will do the same. He's still going to have bad days and doubts, but he's going to have them with someone by his side who loves him, who he loves back.

And, really, what else could be asked for?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smh I love them. Anyway feel free to drop me requests @ feltgoodinc on tumblr lol we all need more Chad in our lives


End file.
